Kathleen Powers-Vermaelen
No Joke
A parrot walked into a bar, and it wasn’t funny at all. He’d had a long day repeating things back to people, a career with a half-life of eternity. It was why parrots drank.
Someday, he’d like to try a fruity drink, one with maraschino cherries skewered on a tiny plastic sword. But not today. Today, only hard liquor would do.
The bartender scowled upon seeing him. “We don’t serve your kind in here,” he spat.
“We don’t serve your kind in here,” the parrot retorted, perching on a stool and bracing for what would also be a long night.
About the writer:
Kathleen Powers-Vermaelen’s work has appeared in The Bangalore Review, The Write Launch, and other publications. Powers-Vermaelen holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook Southampton and teaches writing at Suffolk County Community College on Long Island.
Image: Parrot by Aggtza. No medium specified. 55 x 70 cm. 2009. By free license.
